


One Shots

by Theatrenerd1987



Series: RPF [2]
Category: Actor RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-23
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-03-08 09:10:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13455063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theatrenerd1987/pseuds/Theatrenerd1987
Summary: This is going to be a collection of one shots in the same universe as my other story. Some may be prequels, some may be missing moments, some may be sequels.





	1. Valentine's Day

"Good morning," Mary said while rolling over in bed to look at Chandler. She had to brush away the messy bedhead hair that was covering his face.

He smiled and said, "Thanks, honey," while giving her a kiss.

They stared at each other like that for a while, forgetting the world around them when a loud-WAAA!-brought them back to reality. Mary was about to get up, but Chandler stopped her. 

"Us, boys are going to take care of you today." Mary couldn't deny them that so she allowed him to leave.

"What's the occasion?".

"Happy Valentine's day," he told her, kissing her sweetly on the lips.

He walked out of their room to the one to the right of them. James was in his crib still crying. 

"Come here, little one," Chandler said as he picked up his son and gave him a kiss. 

He lifted James high up towards the ceiling and spun him around causing James to giggle like crazy. "You like that?" Chandler asked him as he kept spinning him. 

Chandler joined in on James’ giggles. Once Chandler decided to stop spinning James he brought him to the kitchen for some breakfast. 

"So what are we making mommy for breakfast today?" Chandler asked.  James sat there in his highchair for a moment, looking befuddled, then he giggled and waved his arms.

"Pancakes it is!" Chandler said as he got out the pancake mix, milk and eggs. "Let's get started! It shouldn't be that hard." Chandler said laughing as James giggled in his highchair.

He wasn't a very good cook. Nonetheless, he was still going to try no matter how bad it turned out.

Chandler took out a big bowl and put in all three ingredients according to the instructions on the back of the box. “See that wasn’t that hard,” Chandler said proudly, mixing the batter together until it was as smooth as butter. 

They then put the batter on a pan on the stove and cooked them. Chandler wasn't very good at flipping but after a few failed attempts, he finally got the hang of it. 

"Breakfast is served! " Chandler said as he put a pancake in front of James waiting for the seal of approval. With one bite, Chandler knew his venture into cooking was a success. “Let’s go bring some to mommy” 

Chandler walked into the bedroom, balancing breakfast on a tray. He crept into where Mary lay sleeping, knowing that it was going to be a good day. "Good morning" he whispered softly into her ear.

She woke to the smell of coffee and pancakes. She blinked a few times and saw Chandler and James sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Good morning." Mary smiled at him as she saw what he had done. On the tray there was a plate of pancakes, a cup of coffee and one red rose lying along the front. She picked up the rose and inhaled its scent before pushing herself off the headboard and capturing his lips in a sweet kiss. "Thank you Chandler," she murmured as she sank back against the headboard.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Hey there pretty girl," Hunter whispered waking up his sleeping wife. 

"What" she replied groggily 

"Good morning, sleepyhead.”

She mumbled something incoherent then rolled over. He chuckled softly, knowing she wasn't a morning person. Leaning over he nuzzled her neck and kissed it gently. "Lizzy, it's time to get up," he repeated again. She swatted him away before attempting once again to fall back asleep.  

“It's Valentine's Day," he whispered again. He watched her eyes flutter awake. 

"It's Valentine's Day," she repeated catching a glimpse of the red rose he held in his hand. But what peaked her interest more for the moment was the cup of coffee he had brought along as well.  

"It's Valentine's Day and I don’t have anything for you this morning..." she whimpered. "Hey hey, I have everything I could ever need, right here," he whispered softly as she continued to stare up at him. He smiled slowly and gently moved his head enough so he could touch her forehead with his lips. “I've got my two girls, and I don’t..." he declared, rubbing his hand over her belly, "need anything else at the moment."

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Both men had told their wives that the plan for dinner was a double date. The women seemed pleased to be spending part of the evening with people they loved. Chandler told Mary that he had already contacted a babysitter for the night. Hunter was grateful that the holiday had fallen on a Monday night, his night off. Mary was excited to spend a night out with Chandler, something that their busy lives just didn’t have much time for. Lizzy couldn’t wait to eat out, spend time with friends and get a romantic night with Hunter.

Chandler and Hunter had arranged everything. Unfortunately, Chandler had to go into the office for a few hours but promised Mary he wouldn’t be late for dinner. 

True to his word, Chandler left the office with plenty of time to make it home in time for dinner. Arriving at their apartment building, Chandler got off the elevator and headed to his apartment. 

"Honey, I'm home," Chandler called out when he entered his apartment. 

"I'm in the bedroom," a voice floated from down a hallway. 

"You're not ready?" Chandler shrieked.

"Almost. Give me five minutes. And we are still waiting on the babysitter so chill a little bit" Mary protested. 

With a slightly annoyed huff, Chandler sat down on the couch and flipped his phone on.

Just as he had plopped down there was a knock on the door. 

“I’ll get it.” yelled Chandler as he opened the door to Molly, the babysitter. Molly had babysat for them before and knew the routine of the Massey household. Mary made sure Molly was comfortable, letting her know that there was stuff in the fridge she could eat and making sure she had both her and Chandler’s numbers in case anything went wrong, which she didn’t think would. 

 

* * * * * * * *

"Ready?" Hunter peeked in on Lizzy who was in the bathroom. Lizzy stood in front of the sink, combing her hair.

"Almost," Lizzy replied. Lizzy emerged from the bathroom, seemingly ready to go. "Do I look OK?" Lizzy asked nervously. She was feeling very self-conscious in her ankle-length black and red hearted dress. 

"You look beautiful and very festive."

"You look pretty good yourself," Lizzy commented on her husband’s button up shirt and red tie.

The ping of Hunter’s cell phone indicated she had a new message. As Lizzy walked back to the bathroom for one last check, Hunter’s fingers flew over keys. "That was Chandler saying that they are ready. Checking in on our progress."   

"Well, are we ready?" No sooner had Lizzy asked the somewhat rhetorical question did the Tharps hear a knock at their door. 

Lizzy smoothed her hair and straightened her dress. She took one last look at herself in the mirror, dangling her purse off her shoulder, snatching her keys off the table.

There at the door were Mary and Chandler both dressed as sharp and gorgeous as ever. 

"Hey, guys. Ready to hit the road" Lizzy said grabbing her jacket off the hook near the door.

"You look gorgeous Lizzy" Chandler replied, hugging Lizzy who blushed. 

"Let's go, I’m hungry," Hunter said, placing a hello kiss on Mary’s cheek and grabbed Lizzy by the hand.

 

"Shall we?" Hunter/Chandler gestured to the front door of the restaurant, escorting the other three inside the upscale restaurant.  The lobby walls were covered with pictures showing New York City through the years and many tall flower vases on the floor. 

"Good evening, how may I help you?" a man wearing a white dress shirt and black bow tie asked, smiling invitingly at both couples.

"Good evening," Chandler began as he approached the maitre’d. "We have a reservation under the name Massey."

The man, Matt, glanced at the book in front of him. "Table for four?” Chandler nodded “follow me to your table," he announced after confirming that the reservation had been made.

They followed him to a table covered with a white, classy, tablecloth next to the large glass windows that had a view of Manhattan. The lights of the city contrasted with the dark blue sky, making the buildings seem to fluctuate above the water of the Hudson River. The notes of a piano filled the room, adding to the romantic atmosphere.  Each husband pulled out a chair his wife as the man left with the promise to return with water and a wine list. 

"Guys, this is..." Lizzy looked around the room. They weren't alone, but there weren't very many other couples around them. "This is perfect."

As promised, Matt returned with the wine list and waters, taking their drink orders and leaving them to look over their menus as he left to get their drinks. 

"Everything on the menu looks great," Mary exclaimed, taking a look at her food choices. 

"Best view, hopefully, good food and the best company, everything is perfect." Chandler looked over at his wife and felt his heart skip a beat , as it always did when he looked at his wife.

"I’m so glad we are all together." Lizzy continued, giving Hunter's hands a light squeeze.

The waiter soon returned with their drinks and took their food orders, then left again. The ladies sat patiently, chatting about various matters. 

"So, how’s baby prep going, Lizzy" Mary started.

"We’re getting there. We’ve got a lot done. It doesn’t seem like that we have that much more to do but it’s like every day I think of something else we need or something else to do.” Lizzy  **responded with a half smile** .

“Lizzy, don’t worry we have plenty of time and I’m sure we don’t have to get every little thing done before she comes." 

"She’ll be here before you know it though." Chandler chimed in. 

"Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of. I’m worried we won’t have everything done by the time we need to"

"Liz, I’m sure you’re fine. I’m sure you’ve thought of all the big things and the little things will get figured out"

"Yeah, I think I’m just getting anxious for her to get here already."

“I think we all are, sweetie.” Hunter smiled and half laughed. "I love you." He ran his thumb over her knuckles and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"I love you too," she blushed.

 

Their conversation trailed off as the waiter returned with their meals. They dug in and were blown away by their meals. The flavors, the textures, everything was incredible. During dinner, the conversation continued in between bites and sips of wine. It seemed like everyone was having a great time joking around and laughing. Hunter talked about how the show was going. Chandler got everyone caught up on projects he was working on. From the sounds of it it seemed like the show he and Freddie were working on was being taken to the next step. Chandler seemed pleased and excited about the project. Mary yakked about the various articles she was writing. 

Just as the conversation slowed, Chandler felt it was the perfect time to present the girls with their gifts. He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a small box, holding it out to Mary as she looked at him. "Chandler..." she sighed as she took the box from him. She gently pulled at the red ribbon he had tied around the box before slowly pulling the lid off. Inside, was a beautiful necklace, with a charm engraved with the letter  _ J _ .

"Chan," she breathed. "I love it..." She held it up to look at the pendant closely. She leaned forward, grasping his face between her hands and pressing a kiss to his lips. He used his hands to run up and down her sides, coming to rest on her hips as the kiss began to escalate. When he pulled away, he blew out a breath of hot air that skidded across her face. "I love you."

"I love you too..." she whispered back.

 

Following Chandler’s lead, Hunter placed a red envelope in front of Lizzy.

"Happy Valentine’s day, honey"

She placed a kiss on his cheek and took a look at the plain looking envelope. When she had fully inspected it, Lizzy carefully ripped open the envelope and pulled out a cute card. Opening the card she found two plane tickets to the Caribbean.  

"We are going to spend four days relaxing and enjoying each other completely uninterrupted. It's our babymoon." Hunter explained. 

Hunter’s lips were overtaken by Lizzy’s as she pounced on her husband. "I love you," she whispered as her eyes found his, staring at him.

"I love you too," he whispered as he ran his fingers through her hair. "so much."


	2. Firsts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lizzy and Hunter's firsts

FIRST KISS

It was a perfect evening. They went to dinner in midtown Manhattan, laughing their way through their meal and a bottle of wine. Hunter paid the bill and they walked hand in hand to Lizzy’s building.  
"This is me," Lizzy said, stopping in front of her door and turning to look at Hunter.  
Lizzy was nervous. She shoved her hands into her purse to fish out her keys. It was only Hunter, she tried to remind herself glancing at the man in question out of the corner of her eye. This was hardly the first time she went out somewhere with him. It made no sense to her why she was so nervous.  
"Thank you for a wonderful evening," she said softly.  
"I, umm…you’re welcome" Hunter rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, looking away from her.  
His eyes caught hers and she found herself suddenly sinking into their blue depths.  
There was a blush working across his cheek. She felt a sort of relief that he seemed just as nervous as she.  
"I...what I meant was." Hunter's tongue tangled on his words, "It was a fun night."  
Lizzy nodded, "I had a lot of fun."  
"Me too." He squeaked stopping in front of the loft door.  
"You already said that."  
He cleared his throat, "Right."   
Lizzy let out a happy sigh and stared up into his gorgeous grey-blue eyes. Her heart began to race as he leaned in and stepped towards her, both of her hands in his. Hunter lowered his head bringing their faces closer. Hunter tilted his head so his nose brushed tenderly against hers, his breath warm against her face. A twinge of fear worked up her spine nearly causing her to jerk from his touch. Lizzy had to remind herself that she was safe. Slowly, he pulled her to him, his arm going around her waist, his other hand cupping her face. He slowly softly lowered his lips to hers. Lizzy’s knees almost buckled, her head rushing. The kiss was was pure magic. It was soft and intense all at once, with her hands winding in the hair at the base of his neck. He felt like Westley kissing Buttercup for the first time, that’s how perfect this was.   
"I'm…" His voice filled with worry laced with doubt. He searched her flushed face, "I'm sorry."  
"Sorry?" Lizzy echoed clearly confused.  
"I didn't mean to," He forced a hand through his hair, "Push you into anything."  
"You didn't." Lizzy felt her heart finally slow down as she turned to the door, twisting the key in the lock.  
"Goodnight Lizzy."  
"Good night." The kiss followed Lizzy inside, replaying the memory of the kiss jumping around her apartment, singing into a hair brush. She had imagined it a million different ways over the last few months. Passionate, slow, tender, forceful even. Imagining just what kissing Hunter Tharp for the first time would be like. And even so, despite all that, her imagination had fallen short.  
She smiled as one word lingered in her mind, reliving the kiss again in her head…Perfect.

FIRST I LOVE YOU  
Tonight was their six month anniversary. Six months of tender kisses on the cheek, tender kisses on the lips, and make-out sessions on the couch. The two of them didn’t want to make too big a deal about it. They had a quiet meal out at a restaurant in midtown. It was such a nice night out that they decided to walk back to Lizzy’s apartment. They strolled through the theatre district. All the lights of Broadway were dancing with golds, greens, reds and purples, an entire rainbow enticing her to come join in the fun of a Broadway show. There were so many people on the street enjoying the coolness of the early fall evening. Taxis wove in and out of traffic, horns blew, and people shouted at one another.  
"Lizzy?"  
"Hmm, sorry, were you talking to me!? I guess I zoned out. You’d think I’d be jaded being a born and bred New Yorker, but the city still amazes me." She smiled contentedly as he pressed a soft kiss to her temple.  
Within a few minutes, they were walking alongside the river, basking in the refreshing breeze coming off the water. Lizzy's hand slipped out of his as they went to sit down on the nearest bench, and she used it to brush a lock of hair out of her eyes. Looking out across the city skyline, she sighed softly - he heard it. Turning his head slightly, he watched her out of the corner of his eye. She was beautiful, with the moonlight reflecting in her eyes and hair. A content smile played on her lips, her breathing slow and even.  
"Penny for your thoughts?" Her voice pulled him out of his trance. She blinked twice at the city and turned her head to face him. "What's on your mind, Hunter Tharp?"  
He sighed and picked up her hand, kissed it and rested it in his lap. "You."  
Lizzy's gaze drifted from his face to their entwined fingers, and back to the water. She shifted a little on the bench so that her head was resting on his shoulder.  
"What about me?"  
Hunter looked out across the water. "I was thinking about how amazing you are, and how incredibly lucky I am that you're with me right now."  
He paused, waiting for a response. When she was silent, he added. "I was thinking about how much I love you."  
Lizzy gasped slightly at his admission, speechless. "I’m sorry, say that again." She wasn’t sure if she heard him right. Hunter Tharp...THE Hunter Tharp...loved her? She knew Hunter had a crush on her, they had been seeing each other for a couple of months now.   
"I said...I love you."   
Lizzy fell silent, taking in what her boyfriend had just said and deciding on a response. It wasn't the reaction he had hoped for and he let out a heavy sigh. "Lizzy…"  
Lizzy lifted her head and looked at him. "I love you, too."  
Hunter could see her tears, and he blinked back his own. His hand went to her cheek, stroking it gently. Lizzy leaned into his touch, closing her eyes.  
"You have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that. I’ve felt this way since our first date. This isn't the way I thought it would come out, but I guess it had to sooner or later." he said, letting out a deep breath. Lizzy couldn’t help but chuckle.  
"What’s so funny?" he asked nervously.  
"I just...I can't believe you like me," Lizzy smiled, shaking her head. He rubbed his thumb her chin and looked deeply into her eyes.  
"Love," he corrected, leaning in quickly and pressed his lips against hers.   
She took his hand, kissed the palm and closed his fingers into a fist. She moved her head back to his shoulder, looking out over the skyline once more.  
"It really is a great view, isn't it?"  
Hunter sighed. "It is." 

 

FIRST TIME

Lizzy pulled on a simple dress she’d bought for the evening. She and Hunter were going out. Nothing too fancy though. It wasn’t some special occasion, like an anniversary or birthday, just an ordinary dinner date. Hunter was picking her up at her apartment. When she heard the buzzer ring, she answered it telling him she’d be down in two minutes. She quickly washed her face, ran a brush through her hair and applied the bare minimum of makeup.  
This will have to do…  
When she walked out of the building, Hunter’s jaw dropped. “Wow. You look…amazing.”   
Lizzy blushed at the compliment. She still hadn’t quite gotten over the fact that some guy as attractive as Hunter found her attractive as well.  
“Thanks,” she said.  
“Shall we my lady?” he said in a mock British accent, extending his arm.  
Lizzy laughed and linked her arm with his as they walked down the street.  
They ate a delicious dinner at a low key restaurant nearby that they had been to before. They were seated quickly and the waitress took their drink order. Lizzy gazed down at the menu, quickly skimming over the dishes. Taking a few minutes to decide, she finally chose a salad starter, which she and Hunter were going to split and tortellini alfredo.  
Once the waitress had taken their dinner orders, the couple relaxed into an easy conversation.  
"This place is busy tonight," Hunter commented.  
"It seems to get busier every time we're here."  
The waitress arrived shortly with the salad asking, "Do you want a refill on your drink?"  
"No, I'm okay," Hunter, replied looking at his half-full glass.  
Lizzy nodded, looked at the waitress and handed her the empty glass.   
"So…" Hunter began but stopped short when he saw his girlfriend digging into her half salad with such poised gusto and tried not to laugh. "Is it that good?"  
"Mmmmm…mmmm hmmmm."  
Hunter took a bite of his salad, confirming Lizzy’s opinion on the taste. It was crispy, fresh and the dressing was perfect.  
They sat until their meals arrived making conversation, catching each other up on their lives. Lizzy was still enjoying running her children’s theatre, bringing together two things she loved; kids and theatre. Hunter was doing a short running show that he was enjoying.  
He watched her sprinkle parmesan cheese on her pasta when it arrived. In between shakes, she made sure she blew on it, knowing full well it would be too hot to eat right away. He grinned as he saw her face light up taking each bite.   
“Man, that hits the spot. Just what I was in the mood for.”   
Hunter ate his chicken parmesan happily, taking sips of his drink in between every couple of bites.   
Just as she ate the last piece of tortellini, she grabbed a breadstick out of the basket in the middle of the table using it to soak up the alfredo sauce that was pooled on the plate.   
“Can’t waste good sauce” she said with a smile.   
“I can see that’” he said laughing.  
"Would you like dessert?" the waitress asked as she cleared their empty plates away.  
"No, I…" Hunter began but was quickly interrupted.  
"Oh! I’d like a cannoli, please."  
"Sure."  
"No thank you. I'm stuffed." Hunter watched as the waitress walked towards the kitchen.  
When the cannoli arrived, Hunter asked a question that had been on his mind the whole meal. "Lizzy? Where are you putting all of this food?"  
She just looked at him and shrugged. "Just hungry I guess," she laughed softly.  
As they paid and left the restaurant, they decided to continue the night and walk since it was so nice outside and Lizzy felt like she had to walk off her dinner.  
"Will you… walk me home? I mean we’re already more than half way there anyway."  
“I thought that’s what I was doing!?”  
They took a roundabout way back and just enjoyed each other’s company. Lizzy felt blissfully happy just walking and talking. It was always an amazing evening whenever they were together. In fact, she couldn’t imagine a more perfect evening.

Arriving at Lizzy’s apartment building, Hunter and Lizzy climbed the stairs to the door, wrapping his arm around her waist. Lizzy fumbled with her keys, smiling weakly as she found the lock, giving the knob a swift twist to force the door open. He held it for her and followed her inside and up the stairs. Outside her apartment, he waited with his hand on the small of her back as she unlocked the door.  
Lizzy dropped her keys on the table as she slipped off her jacket, flipping on the lamp light. She looked around briefly, thankful that she'd left her apartment decent, and turned back to Hunter.  
"Make yourself comfortable."  
“Thanks, want to watch a movie?”   
“Yeah, sure. Though I don’t know if I’ll be able to stay awake for the whole thing. Go ahead and pick whatever you want.”  
He picked out The Princess Bride, since he had remembered Lizzy mentioning it was her favorite in one of their conversations. Soon Lizzy joined him on the couch, snuggling in for a cuddle. When she saw the choice of movie she smiled at him.   
"Do you want coffee… Or something else?"  
"No. Thank-you. I'm good."  
She nodded quietly.   
"Just good?" she asked, an eyebrow raised.  
Hunter sighed. "Well, now that I think about it… I could be better."  
He lowered his head as he used a hand to tilt her face closer to his. His lips found hers, and they locked in a soft, caressing kiss.   
But then she felt herself kissing him back with the same desperation. She slowly opened her mouth, letting the kiss go further. Kissing her deeply, all she could feel in his tongue in her mouth and her hands in his hair, not wanting it to end. It wasn’t until she felt his hands slide under her shirt that she was able to let out a breathy, "Wait."  
“It’s just me,” he looked up into her eyes “its just me.” Hunter stopped.   
She placed her ear to his chest, resting it over his racing heart. Lizzy closed her eyes, sighing lightly and allowed herself to listen to his heart. He watched her, a concerned look on his face.  
"Lizzy…"  
Lizzy pressed her lips together and took a deep breath before looking back up at him.   
"Lizzy… What is it?"  
She smiled, “I hear your heart, Hunter."  
Hunter let out a little giggle, leaned forward, kissing the top of her head gently.   
She pulled away slightly. “Everywhere "  
"Shhh… " Hunter brought her head back to him and kissed it again. She felt him rest his chin on her head, a hand gently stroking her hair.  
"Hunter?"  
"Yes?"  
Lizzy tilted her head back to look at him. "Stay tonight?"  
Hunter looked down and brushed a lock of hair away from her eyes. He stroked her cheek lovingly, leaning down to plant a kiss over the same spot.   
"I thought you'd never ask." Hunter grinned and Lizzy tilted her head up to him.  
A smile spread across his face, and he moved his mouth closer to her ear, his voice so low she could barely hear it.  
"I love you too," Hunter said, his eyes twinkling.   
Her eyes got wide.  
“You mean….?” he asked.  
She nodded.  
“You’re sure?”  
“Yes,” she responded.  
She wanted him and there was no doubt in her mind she was ready. He kissed her passionately one more time. Then, in a blur, Hunter grabbed Lizzy’s hand leading her to the bedroom.

The next morning, Lizzy awoke in a state of pure bliss. It was better than Lizzy had ever imagined. Hunter had been sweet and patient, taking things slow. They wanted their first time to be perfect. Though she felt a little exposed and self-conscious at points, he made her feel wanted and sexy. Whatever feelings Lizzy had for Hunter before had only intensified tenfold after the intimacy they’d shared. All in all, it was pretty mind-blowing.  
“Good morning, beautiful,” Hunter said, smiling at her.  
He ran his fingers lightly up and down her exposed shoulder, sending shivers down her spine.  
“Mornin’,” Lizzy said, regaining consciousness. “Were you watching me sleep?”  
“Mayyyyyybe…” he said.  
“Creeper…” Lizzy teased. She nuzzled against his neck and they laid there cuddling for a few minutes. “Can we just stay like this all day?” Lizzy asked, sighing in contentment.  
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Hunter responded. “but I have two shows today...which I should probably get ready for.” He kissed her cheek.  
Hunter reluctantly rolled out of bed to go get ready for work. He turned and glanced back at Lizzy. She had sat up against her headboard and pulled the sheet up to her chest. She still had that sleepy look on her face, she hadn’t removed her makeup from the day before and her hair was a total disaster. Hunter smirked at her.  
“What?” Lizzy questioned.  
“Nothing…” he said, grinning. “Just you….” He winked at her and went into the bathroom. She heard the shower start and Hunter began to sing “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” at the top of his lungs.  
Lizzy giggled to herself. He’s so adorable. I could get used to this, she thought.  
She quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and one of Hunter’s shirts. She gave up on her hair until she had bathroom access and tied it back in a ponytail.


	3. First Christmas Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunter and Lizzy spend their first Christmas with his family

The sun was setting in a quiet little Vermont neighborhood. In the house, Brandon and Kylar were moving around the tree, putting on the lights, while their parents Anne and Bruce stood back watching. After the lights were on, Brandon ordered his daughter, Emma, to run over and flip a few different switches until the only light was coming from the flames in the fireplace and the lights around the tree. The strings of lights were wrapped around going from the top to the bottom. Each one twinkled brightly, looking somewhat like fairies. They all took a step back to admire the tree. To put how it looked simply, it was beautiful. Once they saw that the lights were positioned like they should be, Anne reached over and turned them off, turning the others back on so they could finish decorating with the ornaments. Once all their ornaments were hung, Jesse grabbed the homemade star and placed it on top of the tree.  
“The tree looks great. I know Hunter and Lizzy are bringing some ornaments as well. They should be here soon.” said Anne.  
*******************************  
"Hunter, hurry up!"  
"Liz, relax. We will get there when we get there, don't worry honey."  
"Okay, well it's your family, so whatever you want." Lizzy giggled.  
"Hey, they don't care. And plus the GPS says it should only take 3 hours to get there. We’ll be there before dinner time."  
Lizzy climbed into the car just as Hunter did, buckled her seatbelt and took a deep breath.  
Hunter took her hand, gently rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. Lizzy could feel her nerves subside as they started their drive.  
When they finally arrived at the house that his parents had rented for the whole Tharp family, Hunter turned off the car and jumped out to run to the passenger side to open for Lizzy.  
"Here you are."  
“Do I look okay?” Lizzy asked Hunter for the hundredth time since leaving the city.  
“Honey, you look great like always!” He kissed her cheek. “Hey, you’re not still nervous, are you?”  
“A little bit. I know you said that they like me and everything, but I’ve never celebrated Christmas with another family.”  
“Hey, hey, hey…they love you and I love you, and that’s all that matters.  
“But what if…” Hunter silenced her by gently pressing his lips to hers.  
He took hold of her hand and squeezed it, causing Lizzy to smile.  
“I love you too.”  
They walk to the door hand in hand and were greeted with a warm welcome from Hunter’s mom.  
“Hunter!” She smiled.  
“Mom!” He hugged her and returned next to Lizzy, placing his hand on the small of her back.  
"Lizzy, hi how are you?" Anne asked reaching out for a hug as well, immediately easing Lizzy’s nerves.  
"We're good, mom."  
“We were just talking about you guys as we were decorating the tree. I know you guys said you were bringing some ornaments from the city. There’s still plenty of room on the tree.”  
“Mom, let them get settled first.” interrupted Kylar, Hunter’s older sister. “Let me show you guys your room.”  
“Thanks. We’ve got a few more bags in the car, but we can grab them in the daylight tomorrow.”

After Hunter and Lizzy had settled into their room, they joined everyone else in the living room. Mugs of hot coco were being passed around for all to drink. There was a warm roar that flowed out of the fireplace as the flames danced along the logs. If Christmas wasn't in the air before, it unquestionably was now.  
“UNCLE HUNTER!” Emma yelled as she ran into his arms.  
“There’s my girl!” he said scooping her up. “How you been Ems?”  
Lizzy smiled at Hunter’s adorable nickname for his niece. Brandon and his family lived in Minnesota, so Hunter didn’t get to see them as much as he’d like.  
“Good!” she said. “We got a new fish named Fred at school. I got to feed him and Miss Williams says I’m a good helper.”  
“That’s awesome kiddo,” Hunter said.  
Hunter introduced Lizzy to his family. Emma was immediately intrigued by this new person in her beloved uncle’s life.  
“Are you Uncle Hunter’s girlfriend?” Emma asked.  
“Yup,” Lizzy responded.  
“Jacob at school says boyfriends and girlfriends kiss on the mouth. Do you kiss Uncle Hunter?”  
“Sometimes,” Lizzy said laughing.  
“Do you like playing puzzles?” Emma asked, clearly getting all the information she needed.  
“I love puzzles!” Lizzy said.  
“Hunter, I like Lizzy,” Emma said, turning towards  
“Me too, Ems,” he said. “Me too.” Hunter glimpsed over at Lizzy, giving her a wink. She couldn’t get over how cute Hunter was with his niece. 

Everyone was chatting in little mini conversations. Lizzy gravitated towards Emma, who was busy showing her all the puzzles and toys she had brought. There was even a one-thousand piece puzzle for the whole family to work on.  
At one point, Lizzy saw Anne starting to clean up. Lizzy wanted to be a good guest but didn’t want to step on any toes. Leaning into Hunter’s chest she whispered into his ear.  
"I am going to go see if she needs any help."  
Before Hunter could stop her she was up from the couch, headed to the kitchen.  
"Can I help?"  
"You are our guest go and relax." Anne said.  
"I like to help, especially doing the dishes."  
"Well, if you really want to you can start drying" Anne said pointing to the drying rack by the sink.  
"Okay." Lizzy began drying the mugs used for hot coco.  
Lizzy couldn’t believe how comfortable she felt with Hunter’s family. They had totally embraced her as part of the family even though she and Hunter had not been dating for that long. As she dried the dishes, Anne asked her how work was going. Lizzy talked about her job, filling Anne in on the cool things that were coming up. Lizzy had spent some time with Anne and Bruce and after each time she felt more and more comfortable. They made it easier for her tho and embraced her into the family. She hadn’t spent much time with Hunter’s siblings but they were no different and embraced her as well. Overall, she adored his family. The scary part was, she could easily picture herself being a part of it someday.

The dishes did not take that long with the two of them working together and soon Lizzy and Anne joined the family back in the living room. Lizzy plopped herself on the couch next to Hunter, curling her legs up and nuzzled her chin into his chest. Lizzy closed her eyes getting comfortable as Hunter wrapped one arm around her waist. She couldn’t help but let out a yawn as Hunter pulled her in closer for a hug. Her head moved up to his shoulder, letting out another yawn  
"You tired, sweetie?" Hunter whispered, to which all Lizzy could do was nod.  
"I think we are going to head to bed." Hunter announced.  
"Alright, goodnight guys." Bruce said starting a chorus of good nights from the rest of the family.  
Hunter nudged Lizzy letting her know it was time for bed. He grabbed her hand and led her to their room.  
Once in the room, she lay down on the bed. Hunter felt bad for her, she’d been working hard the last two weeks on her latest project. It was taking up a lot of her time and energy and this was the first time she had some time off.  
“If I grab your pjs think you can get yourself ready for bed?” Lizzy shook her head and let out a little moan. Hunter looked at her, smiled, realizing it was a good thing he loved her. Hunter grabbed some sweatpants and a shirt from her bag and pulled off her clothes, putting the pajamas on her. She didn't protest, or even open her eyes. After changing himself he slipped under the covers, pulling her close to him, "I love you", he whispered into her neck.  
"I love you." She said quietly before drifting off again.

"Hi." he whispered in her ear, swooping down to kiss her.  
"Hi." she groggily moaned, "Good morning. I was having a really great dream.”  
Hunter rolled his eyes. "Come on. My mom made some french toast. We’ve even got real maple syrup"  
“Well we’re in Vermont, it would be blasphemy to have the fake stuff” Lizzy jerked upward, grasped Hunter’s hand tightly and charged out of bed, seemingly more excited about breakfast than the prospect of lying in bed for a few more minutes.  
It seemed like everyone else was already seated at the kitchen table. Plates and platter of foods occupied the table's surface and when they entered  
"Sit!" Katie fluttered her hands around and pulled out two chairs. When plates were set in front of them, they happily dug in, famished. In the midst of chewing, Lizzy glanced out the window.  
"It's snowing!" Lizzy noticed  
“Yep. Thanks captain obvious.” She scowled at him. Then he picked up his fork and continued to eat.  
"Do you want to go for a walk later? We could walk into town and explore a little bit" Hunter asked with a smile.  
Lizzy nodded, kissed his cheek. 

"We’re heading out!" he yelled so that whoever was around would hear him.  
"Okay, but be careful!" Anne shouted back from the bedroom.  
Emma had asked to join them but both Lizzy and Hunter promised they’d do something fun with her later.  
He helped her with her jacket, wore his own jacket, laced his boots and put on a hat and scarf. Once Lizzy had done the same, he opened the door and the cold hit him. Hunter wrapped his arm around Lizzy’s waist and pulled her towards himself to keep her warm. Lizzy smiled at his gesture and kissed him on the cheek. They made their way out of the house, in the freezing of December. 

Lizzy and Hunter decided to check out the cute town they had passed through the evening before. As they walked side by side on the snow-covered sidewalk, they held hands and admired their surroundings. There were a few small shops lit with Christmas lights and some even had a menorah in the window.  
Everything was covered by snow, a winter wonderland and there wasn't much noise. There was hardly any traffic out, such a calmness.  
"I’m so glad I could spend Christmas with your family."  
Hunter just gazed down at her adoringly. "I’m so glad too, Liz. I’m happy that my family was able to come east for the holiday and that you got some time off." She smiled at him as she tilted her head up, looking up at the sky and watching as the flakes fell around her. She loved the feeling of the snowflakes gently falling on her face. She leaned her head back and stuck out her tongue, waiting for a snowflake to fall in it. She held her arms out and spun around in a circle. Her mouth opened as she caught the small flakes of ice on her tongue.  
She turned back to Hunter, who had stopped them underneath a store awning. Hunter just gazed down at her adoringly. Then he pointed to the awning above them. "Tradition, you know," he said coyly.  
She looked up to see a sprig of mistletoe hanging directly above them and blushed just slightly. "Yeah," she said a little breathlessly. "Tradition..."  
Hunter put his arms around her and pulled her into a long, slow kiss that took whatever breath she had left away.  
Before they resumed their walk in the fresh snow once more, Lizzy clutched Hunter's hand and rested her head on his shoulder. Lizzy was in heaven. She could hardly believe she could love someone as much as she loved Hunter, and yet she did, and she knew he loved her just as much. She could see it in his eyes when he looked at her, she could feel it in his touch when he kissed her, and she could hear it in his voice when he spoke to her.  
“Hey, do we have the things you need for s’mores back at the house?” Lizzy said, pulling herself out of her own thoughts.  
“I don’t know, but it wouldn’t hurt to get more. I’m sure Emma will enjoy making those” he said with a wink.  
They popped into a general store, where they found graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate bars.  
Eventually, they had to return home, and they walked out of the little town reluctantly, still holding tightly to one another, not wanting the moment to end. Fifteen minutes later, they made it to the driveway. Lizzy, who was ready to be in the warm house, walked a bit faster than Hunter at a pace she liked to call ‘a New Yorker on a mission’. As soon as her back was turned to Hunter, he placed the shopping bag down and rolled a perfectly shaped snowball in his gloved hands. Lizzy stopped as a snowball hit her back and a pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist from behind, tackling her into the snow.  
Falling into the soft snow, he stared into her eyes, his forehead resting against hers. Her eyes fluttered open to look up at him causing her to smile, "I love you; so much, Lizzy Kahn."  
He placed his gloved hand on her cheek and placing her hand over his she whispered the same words back to him. The tender moment was broken with laughs as Lizzy managed to push him off of her as he plopped in the snow next to her.  
"Come here." Her arms wound around him. One hand gently sweeping his pieces of hair sticking out from under his hat.  
Lizzy giggled as she nuzzled her cold nose into the crook of his neck. Bringing his gloved hand to rest on her cheek he used his thumb and carefully brushed snowflakes from her eyes, sealing it with a kiss on her temple. Teary-eyed from the cold, Lizzy lifted her head from his chest and placed her hand on his cheek before leaning up for a long, soft kiss. "I love you, so much." She nuzzled her head into his neck and sighed in content as he pulled her even closer to him. They lay there, silently, watching the snow fall around them.  
After a few minutes, Hunter looked down at her, "Are you getting cold?" He asked softly, moving his hand up and down the sleeve of her coat. She snuggled closer to his warm body and nodded.  
Hunter carefully slid out from under her and stood up. Brushing some snow off of his pants before he held out his hand for her to take. He took her hands in his, tracing the backs of her hands with his thumbs. "Come on, let's go inside.”

"Hurry up! We're going to be late!" Lizzy urged him.  
Hunter raised his eyebrows at her with a grin, leaning down and plant a kiss on her temple. “This was so nice of you to research somewhere we could go for Christmas Eve service.”  
Smiling sweetly at him, "It’ll be interesting for me since I’ve never been to one before. " she admitted, "We're supposed to be at church in fifteen minutes" taking a glance at her watch.  
Hunter laughed, rolling his eyes. Hunter quickly tucked his shirt in, threading a belt through the loops in his pants before taking a look in the bedroom mirror. "You finally ready, baby?" he asked her with a grin, unable to keep from laughing at the antsy expression on Lizzy’s face—he knew she wanted to say something about what a slowpoke he was, but she was trying so hard to keep it in. Lizzy just made a face at him, a giggle escaping her mouth.  
“It smells delicious down here. Well, actually I could smell it all the way upstairs.” Lizzy remarked.  
“Yeah, dinners all ready to go for once we get back. Things will just need to maybe get heated up. Bruce made the chicken; Jesse made the veggies, and I made the mashed potatoes.” reported Katie.  
“I helped too, Lizzy.” Emma chimed in.  
“I’m sure you were the best sous-chef.” Lizzy chuckled.  
In five minutes, they were in the crowded church parking lot—a whopping five minutes early, to Hunter's surprise and Lizzy's relief. Lizzy rolled her eyes as she checked her phone. "It's almost six, we should probably go grab a seat."  
Walking inside, Lizzy was awed by all the decorations and just how warm and cozy it felt inside. It was peaceful with the warm spirit which seems to surround the holiday season. Red poinsettia and cheerful holly sprigs trimmed altar and on the side walls glowed neat rows of candles, their twinkling light catching the stained glass windows. The Tharps found an empty pew towards the back where they could all sit. Lizzy grabbed Hunter’s hand as they sat down. Emma sat down on the other side of her.  
The lights dimmed and the music swelled up from the front of the church, slowly, everyone began to sing. Hunter started to join in, then he noticed Lizzy wasn't singing instead she was mouthing the words. Hunter squeezed her hand. Lizzy had never been confident in her singing ability. Hunter didn't think it was that bad; she certainly wasn't going to qualify for any reality singing competition, but he had heard worse.  
They started out with "The First Noel" Lizzy was disappointed when the music ended and the congregants clapped and sat down. The music had been nice, but she still had to sit through listening to a pastor drone on about Jesus and God. Hunter looked over at Lizzy, marveling at the way her smile and her striking blue eyes twinkled in the candlelight.  
“You think I’m the only Jewish person here.” Lizzy whispered inquisitively.  
Hunter shot Lizzy an eye roll and pointed to the church’s nativity scene. “Pretty sure they are too.”  
“Oh yeah,” Lizzy stifled a chuckle.  
"Good evening and Merry Christmas to all of you!" the pastor said, her voice resonating through the microphone and speakers. The congregation echoed her sentiments. She began reading about the birth of Jesus. "Tonight we are doing something a little different. I have invited my colleague and friend, Rabbi Barr, to speak tonight. Rabbi Barr is the rabbi at Beth Israel.”  
A middle-aged man approached the microphone, wearing vestments that Lizzy recognized.  
“Guess that makes one more of us now.” Lizzy giggled looking up at Hunter, who chuckled.  
Lizzy listened intently as the rabbi spoke about the similarities between Hanukkah and Christmas. He described Hanukkah as a story about a military victory turned into a tale about a miracle. The story sends a message that the world is transformed through human action. He then claimed that the story of Jesus’ birth had also been a vamped myth with the message that the future of humans lies not in the hands of the gods but rather in the hands of people. He expressed both Hanukkah and Christmas declare in the bleakness of winter that hope is found not in the farthest reaches of heaven, but rather in the compassion of the human heart and the endurance of the human spirit. He called for the congregation to transform a world wrapped in darkness to one made better by the light, which emphasizes the message of the hope for the future lies within the community of people. As soon as he finished the piano started playing ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ which the congregation joined in on. There was a lot more singing and reading of passages talking about Jesus. Finally, Lizzy saw candles being lit throughout the congregation. She and the Tharps pulled out their candles they had been given as they walked in. When the light came down their pew, Lizzy turned to Hunter who titled his candle to hers until it caught the flame. They sang Silent Night as the candlelight was spread through the church.  
During the second verse of ‘Silent Night’ Hunter’s hand reached down and found Lizzy's, but when they stood for the last verse, he removed his hand and wrapped his arm around her waist to rest his hand on her hip. She smiled up at him and he pressed a soft kiss to her temple. He looked down at her as she rested her head against his shoulder and thought he'd never seen anything more beautiful. The candlelight cast shadows and her smile and her striking blue eyes twinkled in the candlelight. The hymn ended and the pastor said his closing prayer. The lights turned on and everyone blew out their candles and gathered their belongings as the organ played some more Christmas music. Hunter wrapped his arms around Lizzy from behind, his hands resting on her stomach as she leaned against his chest. He kissed the side of her head, asking her softly if she was ready to go home as she nodded.  
Walking out the door, Lizzy reflected on the service. Strolling through the dark and peaceful streets, Lizzy took in all the Christmas lights that illuminated almost every house and business, and a soft snow was starting to fall on the town, the soft glow making their world seem like something out of a storybook. She thought about what the rabbi had said about light and hope.  
When they got home, everyone washed up for dinner. Jesse checked on the fire and placed another log on the flame. 

 

A call from the dining room caught both of their attention. "Come on love, it's time for dinner." Anne announced, heading back to the table. The table was set with a pate in front of each of the nine chairs along with silverware and a napkin. In the center of the table was a large roasted turkey, cooked to perfection. Next to it was two large bowls of mashed potatoes, with just the right amount of milk and butter added with no lumps. Beside each bowl was a smaller bowl filled with homemade gravy, not too thick and not too thin. To top it off there was a basket of freshly baked rolls, perfect for sopping up the leftover gravy.  
“Everything looks and smells delicious!” exclaimed Hunter.  
Everybody nodded in agreement.  
The dinner passed them in a blur of laughter, stories and food, lots of food. The food was delicious. As Lizzy ate and talked and listened to the conversation, she remembered why she'd always loved the holidays. Sitting here felt like being surrounded by her family, even though none of them at the table were actually related to her. She smiled to hear Bruce laugh, talking to Emma about something that had happened at school. Kylar was telling her mom the latest news about her job. Brandon was having a spirited argument with Jesse about sports teams. The acceptance from Hunter and his entire family overwhelmed her. In such a short time with Hunter, she’d experienced feelings and emotions she’d never had before. She’d given him everything she had and her feelings had grown exponentially over the past few days. Hunter had become such a big part of her life and if she was honest with herself, critical to her happiness. Thinking about the past few months, and today specifically, she was bursting with happiness. She had never been as sure of anything as she was about him.  
When all of the food had been eaten, Hunter got up and started to clear the plates, and Lizzy offered to help him while the rest of the family sat talking. They carried on a conversation as they walked from the kitchen to the dining room and back again, discussing their plans for the next day. When they had finally cleared all of the plates, they went back through the door to the dining room.  
“Who’s ready for some dessert?!” inquired Lizzy.  
“ME!” shouted Emma.  
"…I feel like we were going to do something important," Hunter said thoughtfully, looking confused.  
“That's right. They were supposed to roast hot dogs, weren't we?” He glanced at Lizzy, hoping she’d join in the game.  
"No silly. We are going to roast marshmallows?" Emma mocked.  
"Oh, that’s right. S'mores!" Lizzy exclaimed excitedly.  
"Don't ever change," Hunter said, hugging and kissing Lizzy on top of her head.  
Lizzy stopped mid-sentence, while explaining what to do to Emma. "Huh?"  
"Nothing," Hunter snapped, grabbing a graham cracker.  
Sitting in front of the fire, she was toasting a marshmallow, waiting for the perfect amount of singe on it before turning it into a s'more. Graham crackers and chocolate was at her side, Hunter watched his girlfriend as he stared into the crackling fire. "...and that’s how you make a s’more" she said as she placed a wedge of chocolate with the marshmallow in between two crackers. Taking a bite, she tried to watch for the mess that was inevitable be created as she tried to be ladylike about it. Then Lizzy, placed her dessert on a napkin as she got ready to help Emma roast her marshmallow. They got it to a nice golden brown before assembling the sandwich. Everyone watched as Emma took a bite. The smile on her face indicated pure joy at the new food.  
They sat on the couch in front of a roaring fire and Lizzy snuggled into Hunter's chest contentedly.  
“You’re incredible with Emma,” Hunter said. “She likes you a lot.”  
“Yeah, she’s pretty great. She’s such a cutie.” Lizzy smiled.  
“I’m so glad you came along.”  
“Honestly, your family is amazing and I’ve had a great time so far.” Lizzy said.  
Lizzy and Emma limited themselves to two for the night with promises to have more the next night.  
Emma ran to Lizzy and gave her a big hug.  
“Night Lizzy,” she said.  
“Goodnight, Emma and Merry Christmas.” Lizzy said, as Emma headed to her room with her mom, Katie.  
Lizzy put two more s'mores away before she was finally at her limit and didn't look remotely remorseful about it. Lizzy snuggled up on Hunter’s chest. Lizzy felt so comfortable up against him as if nothing bad could ever happen in the world. She looked up, seeing her boyfriend peacefully there, his blonde hair sweeping over his forehead. He was the picture of perfection, and Lizzy loved him, more than anything in the world. She snuggled in closer, wanting nothing more than to lay there forever, without a care. Hunter wrapped his arms around Lizzy, his hand draped around her stomach just tightly enough to keep her tucked against him securely. Looking down, he smiled, seeing Lizzy there, cuddling close. She was so perfectly adorable.  
Lizzy secretly smiled, and let out a sigh. Snuggling into him deeper, filled with love. She felt Hunter’s lips on her forehead and heard something whispered in her ear.  
"I love you" Hunter whispered.  
"I love you too." Lizzy replied quietly.  
"Hey, it's getting late and we’ve got an exciting day tomorrow," he said. "What do you say we start heading for bed?"  
"Sure," she replied with a yawn. "Let’s put our presents under the tree first." Hunter and Lizzy placed their presents for the family under the tree. Lizzy and Hunter had gone shopping together, picking out gifts for each of his family members.  
“Merry Christmas everyone.” A chorus of Hunter’s family answered back and Lizzy and Hunter made their way upstairs.

 

As a ray of light hit his eyes, Hunter suddenly remembered what day it was. He looked at the female figure lying close to him. He smiled for himself, he couldn't be happier than he was. Hunter peeked at the alarm clock that was on the nightstand, it showed 7:50 am. He kissed Lizzy's cheek and she stirred a bit but instead of waking up she just turned around. He spooned her and tucked some hair behind her ear, playing a bit with the ends of her hair. Lizzy began to stir.  
"Wake up beautiful. Time to get up."  
There was no response, just a muffled grunt. He hugged her close and continued to speak "Come on, I'll make it worth your while" in a teasing voice.  
There was a sleepy "Mmmh okay" before Lizzy opened her eyes and turned her head to look at her boyfriend. "Merry Christmas, beautiful".  
Lizzy lifted her head, rolled over and he smiled up at Hunter "Merry Christmas".  
They walked out the hall, Lizzy feeling like a kid at Christmas time. The Christmas tree in the corner of the room now had an assortment of gifts at the bottom of the tree, wrapped in colorful paper.  
"You want coffee?" Hunter asked as Lizzy sat down on the floor.  
Her arched eyebrow was answer enough for him. He took a kiss from her mouth on his way to the kitchen.  
"I can get my own coffee," she asserted, staggering to her feet.  
"Sit, relax." He shook his head. “I know how you like it.”  
Hunter came back a few minutes later, passing her mug over the arm of the couch. Lizzy sat on the ground near the tree, holding the coffee mug between her two hands.  
"Present time!" Emma sang and gathered her family to the tree.  
By the time she reached the tree, the child was nearly vibrating with excitement. "Lizzy, Santa came!" she exclaimed.  
"Yeah, he did. It’s amazing he knew where to find you" said Lizzy.  
“Santa knows everything, Lizzy” she replied sassily, causing everyone to chuckle.  
Emma, who had made her way back to the tree, was looking for a present with her name on it.  
She surprised everyone by placing it by her parents as if starting her pile and making her way back to the tree.  
"Don't you want to open your present, sweetie?" asked Brandon.  
"Yeah!" she replied from back underneath the tree looking for another present. "But I want everyone to open presents at the same time." She pulled present after present, needing a little bit of help deciphering some of the names and who they were referring to.  
Hunter pulled a present from the coffee table, handing the girl of his dreams a medium sized box wrapped in red paper with white snowflakes.  
Once Emma finished, she grabbed one of her gifts from her now bigger than anyone else's pile and wedged herself onto the couch between her parents.  
"Ready guys? Let's count to three!" she said bouncing in her seat.  
Together everyone counted, and together everyone ripped in to the wrapping paper.  
Emma tore the wrapping paper open excitedly. She finished unwrapping the first present. It was the Disney doll she'd been hoping for.  
"Thank you!" she exclaimed, heading over to hug Hunter.  
"You're welcome. Lizzy helped too" He said smiling. Emma made sure to give her uncle’s girlfriend a hug as well. Emma continued to open presents, from her grandparents, her aunt Kylar and uncle Jesse, and from “Santa”.  
Hunter found himself watching Lizzy's every move. He couldn't fight the smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he watched her shake and examine the gift he had given her. As she gently unwrapped the gift, she found herself smiling happily, it was a simple chain link necklace with a pendant inscribed “Any Dream Will Do”. She took a moment to compose herself as the emotions overwhelmed her slightly. When she finally managed to swallow around the lump forming in her throat, she snuggled in close to Hunter's side, and felt at ease as she gave Hunter a big hug and a 'thank you'. She handed him a gift and watched him unwrap it delicately.  
"I hope you like it." She told him, her own nerves tingled with worry.  
He unwrapped the gift. He looked down and a smile erupted on his face.  
"Are you serious?" It was a framed Broadway Playbill, made from each of the different shows he had done. "I love it and I love you." he smiled and kissed her.  
"I love you too." Lizzy said, laughing.  
Half an hour later, the presents had been opened. All the wrapping paper was thrown away and Emma was playing with her new toys. Everyone seemed satisfied with their presents from other family members, giving the gifters satisfaction on picking the right gifts.  
"This was a good Christmas," Lizzy said. They were sitting on the floor with their backs against the couch. A roaring fire raged in the fireplace warming them both.  
"Definitely one of the best," Hunter agreed, as Lizzy cuddled up to him. He interlaced their fingers together and kissed her temple sweetly. Lizzy closed her eyes as she listened to the beat of his heart against her ear. She felt so calm and safe and happy in his arms, like nothing in the world could harm her. Holding her as close to him as possible. His hands moving in slow circles over her back to warm her as much as he could. Hunter placed a kiss on her forehead, letting his lips linger. 

Emma spent the next hour playing with the toys she had gotten, but was interrupted when invited to go play outside. The house had a nice big backyard, perfect for snow angels, snowmen and snowball fights.  
“Hey, Emma, do you wanna build a snowman?” Lizzy asked in a sing-song manner, remembering they owed her some outdoor time and referencing the Disney movie at the same time  
“Yeah.” Emma replied laughing.  
Hunter knew he’d get pulled into the shenanigans and decided he’d make Lizzy pay for dragging him out in the cold. Just at that moment, Lizzy eyeballed Hunter and without saying a word he knew he was expected to join.  
“Ok, let’s all go get ready and meet at the back door. Ready...set….go” Emma was off to the bedroom getting all the clothes she needed to stay warm outside. Lizzy and Hunter did the same, Hunter rolling his eyes at Lizzy the entire time, while Lizzy tried convincing him it would be fun.  
Fifteen minutes later the three of them were all at the back door all bundled up. Once outside, Emma bounded through the snow.  
"Brr! It's so cold!"  
"Well that's the general idea of winter," Hunter quipped, grabbing a handful of snow.  
He slyly brought his hand and threw the snowball at Lizzy. She felt something hit her back. She spun a one-eighty on her heel and glared, hands on her hips, not believing what had just happened.  
She smiled sickly sweet at him, bending down and scooping up a huge glop of snow, lobbing it at Hunter before he could properly react to the ball of white sailing towards him.  
"Oh it's on." He told her.  
He bent down grabbing chunks of the white stuff, not even bothering to roll it in a perfect ball. Lizzy did the same, handing it to Emma before grabbing one for herself.  
"If I were you, I would surrender now." she shouted.  
"Not a chance!" he yelled back  
"Suit yourself. It's your funeral." This resulted in a snowball fight of the ages.  
They laughed and threw snow for a good ten minutes before plopping down right next to each other in the snow.  
"Well, that was somewhat fun." The tiny brunette said.  
"Hey, Ems. Why don't you go see if your mom, dad or anyone else wants to come help us with the snowman? You can also grab the supplies we need." Hunter instructed with the slightest of smiles.  
"Ok," Emma said excitedly.  
While Emma was gone, Hunter and Lizzy started plotting. They each crafted two perfect snowballs and had them ready.  
Holding a freshly made snowball carefully in his hand, he drew back his arm and swung it forward. Something hard and cold hit him. He was under no illusions as to where the snowball had come from, and sure enough, all he had to do was turn to see the half-guilty faces peeking up from a backyard bush.  
"Oops." Hunter apologized unabashedly, a wide smile on his face.  
A wicked smile crept onto Brandon’s face."Okay, kiddo, that means war," he snarled  
"Hey, come on now. I was just messing around." Hunter countered, his hands raised in surrender.  
"Well, that was your first mistake. 'Cause when it comes to snowball fights," he trailed off demurely, bending down to the ground to pick up a clump of snow. "I don't mess around," he finished off, patting the snow down in his hand to form a perfectly shaped circle.  
"Come on, you wouldn't really throw a snowball at us, would ya?" Hunter pointed out smoothly.  
"Well, what do you think Emma?" Brandon asked his daughter, who was now next to him. Emma gave the nod. He lobbed the snowball straight at the two of them with a powerful wrist action.  
“Hey, I thought we were building a snowman, here.”  
“Well, now that we are even the building can begin.”  
"Can we make a snowman now daddy?" asked Emma, holding a scarf, a hat and a carrot for his nose.  
"Yeah, of course, we can darling.."  
The four of them got to work and before long stood a rather fine looking snowman, which was nearly as tall as Emma.  
"Right, now we need to find some stones and twigs."  
"I’ll go" volunteered Emma.  
“I’ll go with you. Ya know in case you need help reaching branches.” Lizzy winked at the boys.  
They ran off in search of the snowman's eyes, mouth and arms, it didn't take them long to find everything they needed.  
Emma put stones in for the eyes and a carrot for the nose. She put more stones in for the mouth.  
"There!" said Emma proudly, placing her hands on her hips. All four of them stepped back to admire their handiwork. Their breath made little puffs of white in the cold air. Lizzy, whose toes and ears were starting to numb, looked over her shoulder at the house.  
"He looks great, Emms. What do you say we celebrate out of the snow and head inside for some hot chocolate?" Hunter asked, catching Lizzy’s gaze.  
"With extra marshmallows?" Emma said excitedly.  
"Of course."  
"I like the way you think." Moving closer to him she wrapped her arms around his neck.  
His hands moved to her face cupping her cheeks.  
Eyes peering down at her lips his mouth dropped down to meet hers.

Lizzy sat in front of the fire, warming herself up after some fun playing outside. Warm, strong arms wrapped around her from behind causing a smile to tug at her lips.  
“It’s time for dinner.” was breathed by her right ear before a kiss found its way onto her cheek.  
She turned in her boyfriend’s arms and glanced up at sparkling eyes framed by black eyelashes. “What are you smiling about, Liz?” Hunter asked slightly.  
The brunette kissed him gently before pulling away, “Let’s go eat.”  
The pair walked into a dining room where everyone was taking their seats. Hunter walked to the side of the table with Lizzy standing to his right.  
“Everyone should sit.” instructed Bruce, followed by the scraping of chairs as they sat and got comfortable.  
“I’m so happy that we are all together for Christmas dinner. Christmas is a time of cold weather but warm hearts. In the immortal words of Tiny Tim, ‘Here's to us all! God bless us every one!’. Merry Christmas,” Bruce toasted raising his glass in the air.  
“Merry Christmas,” reverberated around the table with everybody clinking glasses.  
Dinner looked delicious. There was a roast of ham (with some turkey leftovers for Lizzy), an assortment of rolls, vegetables and salad. Simply put there was enough food to feed an army twice over.  
The dining room was filled with chatter as everyone ate as much as they could. Hunter sat looking around before grinning at the brunette beside him. Hunter clasped her hand on lying on the table.  
"Was this Christmas everything you hoped for?" Lizzy asked  
Hunter nodded and cupped her cheeks and pressed his lips against hers, feeling her respond immediately. "I love you, you know"  
She smiled against his lips. "I love you too. And Merry Christmas."  
“Merry Christmas, Lizzy.”


	4. First Official Date

Lizzy stood in front of her bathroom mirror and grimaced at her reflection. She sighed loudly at the image before her and tossed her hairbrush down into the sink. Moving her head from side to side, she examined her hair from all angles. She'd spent the last hour trying to get it just right. She'd washed it, dried it and straightened it. She had put it up, down and then up again. She'd spent more time on her hair in one day than she normally did in a week. Still, she wasn't completely satisfied. Giving her hair one more glance in the mirror, she bit her lip and shrugged before giving up and moving into her bedroom.  
Hunter climbed the steps outside of Lizzy's building and stopped in front of the tall, brown doors. Noticing his reflection in the window, he ran his free hand over the back of his head to smooth down any potential stray hairs. He looked down and straightened his favorite tie as he moved to press the buzzer to her apartment. He waited for a few moments, swaying back and forth on his heels.  
"Hunter?" Her voice came over the intercom.  
He smiled at her response. "Hey."  
There was a pause. "Come on up."  
Hunter grabbed the door as he heard the buzz of it unlocking.   
Upstairs, Lizzy dove into rush mode, trying to get herself together. She flew into her room and snatched her shoes up off her bed. She checked herself in her full-length mirror as she put them on and straightened her dress. She frowned. Something wasn't right. The dress, the shoes, her make-up…. Her hair.. She ran her fingers through it a few times, as she straightened herself again to look in the mirror. She shrugged at the image peering back at her.  
"Well, at least you tried."  
She made her way back into her living room just as the doorbell sounded. "I'm coming!"  
Hunter shook his head at her harried response and looked at his watch. Their reservations weren't until 8, anyway, but he liked the idea of keeping her on her toes.  
Lizzy flung her door open as she shrugged into her jacket. "Hey. I'm sorry about that. I need two more minutes”  
Hunter nodded. "It's ok. I don't mind waiting and we’re in no big rush." He took a moment to observe the woman standing before him. He loved the way her hair was resting on her shoulders. Her eyes sparkled and her lips shone under the dim light glowing above their heads.   
Lizzy noticed the way he was watching her and gave him a look. “What is it?”  
Hunter laughed a little. “Nothing."  
She took one last look at herself in the mirror, dangling her purse off her shoulder, doubling back only to snatch her keys off the table.  
Hunter cocked his head. "Are you ready to go?"  
Lizzy nodded. "Ready."  
Hunter grabbed her free hand and led her down the steps and smiled as he looked over at her, knowing what she was about to say before she said it.  
She returned his glance. "So…. where are we going?"  
"Ahh, I knew it." He ignored the look she gave him and kept walking "You'll find out soon enough."  
******************  
"We're here."  
"We are?"  
Hunter nodded and ticked his head to the left. Lizzy followed his gesture and her eyes grew wide when she realized they were standing outside Sardi’s, one of New York’s fine dining establishments.  
She looked at the restaurant across the street and then back up at Hunter. "Shall we?"  
He nodded and held his arm out for her, which she accepted with enthusiasm as they stepped off the curb, leaning into him as they made their way inside.  
"Welcome to Sardi’s" The hostess greeted Lizzy and Hunter as they entered the restaurant.  
"Hi. Two for Tharp."  
The hostess looked over the reservations list. "Tharp, Tharp…. Ah yes! Here we go." She looked at Hunter.  
"They're just setting your table now. It'll be a few minutes."  
Hunter nodded. "Thank you." He turned his attention back to Lizzy, who was looking at all the drawn caricatures on the walls “  
Lizzy looked up, slightly embarrassed. ""  
Hunter raised an eyebrow. "Really?"  
She shook her head. "Nope."  
"Well, then… I guess this night really is about firsts."  
Lizzy smiled at Hunter's response and the two shared a long, silent look.  
"Excuse me, Mr. Tharp… I'll show you to your table now."  
Hunter and Lizzy tore their eyes away from each other long enough to be led through the dining room to a small table set for two near the back. The waitress set their menus in the middle of the table and turned back to the couple. "Your waiter will be with you shortly. Enjoy your evening."  
The hostess walked away, leaving Lizzy and Hunter alone at their table. Noticing that Lizzy was starting to slip off her jacket, Hunter was instantly behind her, taking it to put on the chair. Hunter pulled out her chair, and Lizzy sat down. He rounded the table to his side and took off his own jacket before seating himself across from her.  
"So…."  
"… Here we are."  
"Yes."  
They exchanged another look as Hunter plucked the menus from their place in the middle of the table and handed one to Lizzy. She opened it immediately and started to read it. Hunter mimicked her actions with his own menu, glancing up more than twice to watch her.  
Lizzy shook her head in wonder. "It all sounds incredible..." Lizzy stared at him for a few moments. She bit her lip and looked back down at her menu. They continued reading in silence for a while, until the waiter showed up at their table.  
"Good evening. My name's Maurice and I'll be your waiter tonight."  
Lizzy perked up and smiled at him. "Good evening, Maurice."  
"Is there anything I can get you to drink while you look at your menus?"  
"Umm…I’ll take a white russian" Lizzy looked at Hunter and shrugged.  
Maurice looked at Hunter, too. "Have you had a chance to check out our wine list?"  
Hunter looked from Maurice to Lizzy and back to Maurice as he cleared his throat. "I’ll take a vodka-tonic"   
"Great. I'll go and get them while you continue reading your menus. I'll be back in a few minutes."  
"Thank-you." Hunter watched as Maurice left the table and headed over to the bar. Turning back to Lizzy gave him a reassuring smile, which Hunter returned and watched as she went back to reading her menu. A few moments later, he heard her sigh and close her menu, placing it in her lap. He looked up.  
"Decision already?"  
Lizzy nodded and took a sip of water.  
"That was fast."  
She shrugged. "I'm hungry."   
“Well good.” He glanced back down at his own menu for a few more seconds before he closed it, placing it on the table in front of him.  
Lizzy raised her eyebrows. "Ready?"  
"Yup."  
Lizzy smiled and reached across the table, laying her hand on his arm.

"I'll have the lamb chops."  
"Excellent choice. And for you, sir?"  
Hunter took a moment to glance at the menu one last time before ordering. "I think I'll have the steak, medium rare. And the two of us are going to share a caesar salad appetizer. Thank you" He closed the menu and handed it up to their waiter. 

Their eyes locked the moment they toasted, bringing their glasses to meet each other with a 'clink'. Hunter reached across the table and put his hand out, palm up. Lizzy smiled and abandoned her own glass, resting her hand inside his. It was the kind of touch that never failed to take her breath away.  
He smiled at her. Lizzy returned his smile warmly.   
Moments later, Maurice arrived with the appetizer. She picked at her salad with her fork as she watched him eat. They sat in silence for a few minutes - each caught up in their own thoughts, wondering what the other one was thinking. Lizzy picked up her fork once more and moved some of her croutons around on her plate. Hunter cleared his throat and sat back in his seat, watching her. She looked up and saw him. Biting her lip, she dropped the fork back on the plate. "What?"  
Hunter opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off as Maurice approached their table once more, clearing their starters and bringing their main courses.   
The two filled the dinner conversation with small talk. Lizzy felt pretty comfortable going back and forth answering questions about herself and asking him questions. They learned a lot about each other that they hadn’t already known, like favorite books, movies, tv shows, music, places they’d traveled, and hobbies  
"Did you two enjoy your meal?" asked Maurice who had noticed the clean plates at the table.   
The question was directed at both of them, but the waiter looked at Lizzy. She nodded her approval. "Yes, it was very good."  
Maurice beamed. "Great! I'll just take your plates…" He reached down to pick up Lizzy's plate with one hand and Hunter's with the other. "Can I interest you in anything else? Our dessert menu, perhaps?"  
Hunter could tell Lizzy was groaning, despite the fact that she made an effort to hide the sound. He looked from her to Maurice. "Actually, I think we're ok. Thank-you."  
Maurice looked at Lizzy, who remained silent, then back at Hunter. "Ok, well… I'll just give you a few minutes."  
Hunter nodded in Maurice's direction, his eyes planted on Lizzy. Maurice looked at the two of them one more time, got the hint, and left.  
"What's wrong?"  
Lizzy frowned. "Nothing." She softened, putting on a smile. "Really." She picked up her . "So… "  
"So…?"  
She picked up her glass and took a sip. "So… What's next?! Anything planned for… afterwards?"  
"Ah…" Hunter nodded slowly. He paused for a moment while he thought of what to offer. "We could go for a walk…"  
A wide smile crept across her face as a realization hit her. Lizzy was quiet as she considered the idea of spending more time alone with him. "How fast can you get the cheque?"  
Fifteen minutes later, they were standing on the sidewalk outside ‘Sardi’s. The night air was crisp and refreshing. Lizzy inhaled deeply as she pulled her jacket tighter around her, tying the belt around her waist. Looking up at Hunter, she saw him smile as she took his hand. They walked away from the restaurant in silence. There was no destination intended, only the company of each other, their inner thoughts and feelings.  
The silence that settled between them was comfortable. They were at peace with not talking as they strode hand-in-hand along the streets. At several points along their journey, he would look down at her and she would look up at him, and they would share a glance, followed by a smile. She would squeeze his hand and he would squeeze back.


	5. Moving In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunter asks Lizzy to move in

Lizzy’s head was resting on Hunter’s lap and his legs crisscrossed on the sofa as the city lights flickered throughout the living room. Hunter had his nose buried in his phone as he sat cross-legged, a hand lazily running through Lizzy’s messy brown hair. Lizzy had just finished a long day, eager to just relax and wind down next to her boyfriend before yet another jam-packed day.  
Hunter’s fingers massaging Lizzy’s scalp led to her beginning to doze off, lids heavy, breathing steady. Sighing, Lizzy concluded that it was time to go home for the night. She really didn’t want to. Lizzy sighed again and began to sit up on the sofa as Hunter pulled his phone away from his face. Lizzy turned to face Hunter, sitting cross-legged just like him and Hunter turned to pout at Lizzy – an expression she soon learned meant ‘don’t go’.  
Lizzy leaned over to Hunter and placed a kiss on his cheek as if to say 'see you soon’ but Hunter’s soft fingers on Lizzy’s neck made her heart break.   
"Stay the night?"  
A tiny spark of happiness flickered deep in her chest. "I was hoping you’d ask me that."  
Lizzy settled herself closer into Hunter’s chest, letting her eyes drift shut. They sat there for a few moments, listening to each other breathe.  
"Come on sweetie, let's go to bed."  
Lizzy nodded and followed him to the bedroom. Changing in the bathroom, Lizzy quickly donned her sleepwear kept in one of Hunter’s drawers before coming back into the bedroom. She curled gratefully into his side after he shucked his shoes and jeans, tugging on a pair of cotton sweatpants from his drawer.   
Lizzy climbed in and Hunter climbed in behind her. She paused before she reached for his hand and wrapped it around her. He snuggled closer to her and pulled her closer to him and buried his nose in to her hair. He took a deep breath before kissing the top of her head and said, "Try and get some sleep."  
Lizzy nodded, "Night."  
"Night," he said, his voice already drifting off.  
She sighed contentedly as she laid her head on his chest, closing her eyes as she drifted off to sleep to the steady sound of his strong heartbeat. Hunter watched as Lizzy’s breathing evened out. 

 

As the first light of day began to stream through the blinds, Hunter turned over slowly opening one eye, slinging his arm across the still-sleeping Lizzy. To say she was beautiful would be an understatement. Breathtaking was a far more accurate term. She was peaceful in her sleep, mouth slightly parted and hair a mess from sleep. Hunter felt his heart lift. He smiled and reached out a hand to push back a piece of hair, trying not to wake her up.  
After thirty minutes of just laying there watching his girlfriend tangled around him sleep, he leaned next to Lizzy’s ear humming a soft tune, in hopes to gently wake her up. After a minute of humming she began to stir. Slowly opening one eye, Lizzy peeked at the man lying beside her. "Morning," she mumbled.   
Hunter smiled as he leaned in and kissed her on her lips, "Morning, sleepy head”   
"How long have you been awake?"  
"Not long..."  
"Have you been watching me sleep the whole time?"  
"Yeah, I was enjoying the view. You looked so peaceful. I sure do love waking up next to you."  
Lizzy smiled shyly, "Me too."  
Hunter played with Lizzy’s hair, "I want to wake up next to you every morning…move in with me!"  
Lizzy's eyes widened. Lizzy searched Hunter’s face for any indication of a lie or joke but found none. He was being genuine. Lizzy had to take a second, blinking to refocus and swallowing to find her voice. "Come again," Lizzy says as if she didn't hear.   
"I said, move in with me. You practically live here anyway!" Hunter stared back at Lizzy, whose blue eyes were fixed on him.  
"Of course I want to move in with you. To come home to our place every night would be amazing." Lizzy said excitedly.   
“Yeah. Our own place,” Hunter chuckled as he continued to kiss Lizzy.  
"I love you so much." she whispered. Hunter wrapped his arms around Lizzy’s waist and pulled her closer. Hunter looked up into her beautiful blue eyes and got lost in them.  
"I love you too." he told her back. “I want you to know that I’m in this for the long-haul. I want to be with you. You make me happy. I want to be with you for as long as you’ll have me.” Hunter eagerly kissed her and Lizzy could feel her smiling into the kiss and smiled right back.   
“Hunter I don’t want anything else in the world other than you. I’m so in love with you.” she said softly, she put a hand on Hunter’s face. She bent down and gently pressed her lips to Hunter’s. Lizzy loved Hunter. That was one thing in the world she was sure of.


	6. New Year's Eve

New York was ready for New Year's Eve, throngs of people already packing Times Square. The partying started long, long before midnight, the sound of festivities resounding in the bars and clubs of the Big Apple. People were celebrating with friends or family, indoors or on squares, hugged tightly to their significant others and just waiting for the clock to strike midnight to get their New Year's kiss. 

While people were out partying, Hunter and Lizzy and a few of their friends were throwing a little get together to ring in the new year. Lizzy wasn't too fond of parties and big get-togethers. She simply preferred things low-key so Lizzy and Hunter had invited a few of their good friends. The three foot  Christmas tree was in the corner of the living area, the apartment was decorated with banners and streamers, and the TV was tuned into a live feed of Times Square. Everyone was chatting, reminiscing about the year and talking about projects and jobs in the year to come. 

 

"Five minutes to midnight!" Aaron yelled, grabbing Samantha’s hand. She laughed and reached up pushing hair out of her face, smiling at him.

Lizzy turned away from the festivities in the living room and started walking towards the kitchen where Hunter was talking to Chandler and Samantha, apparently discussing something with lots of passion. Hunter was waving his arms around animatedly while pointing to the oven as Chandler nodded along, a serious look on his face. 

"Lizzy!"

She blinked and looked over at Hunter, who was gesturing for her to come join them. Lizzy smiled and walked over from where she'd been standing in the kitchen entryway, coming to stand next to Hunter. 

"Did you need something, darling?" Hunter asked, turning back to the oven. He reached up onto the stovetop and pulled on one of his star-patterned oven mitts so he could safely get the food out from inside. He pulled open the oven door and Lizzy stepped aside from the wave of heat shimmering just above the now-lowered door, dissipating into the warm kitchen air.

"Just wanted to let you know it's less than five minutes to midnight," Lizzy responded, shrugging. "Are you going to join us in the living room?"

"Come now, you know I'd never miss the stroke of midnight," Hunter said, carefully lifting a cookie tray out of the oven, setting it on a burner atop the stove. He removed the oven mitt and tossed it onto the counter once again. "I was just finishing up in here so I could be with all of you out there."

"You better not," Lizzy said, then felt her face flush a second later as she realized how forceful and unlike herself that sounded. She watched Hunter turn to face her and raise an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at the edge of his lips.

"I'll see you in a minute." Lizzy turned on the heel of her shoe and slunk out of the kitchen. Hunter watched her sink into the couch as Hunter exhaled sharply with an amused note in his breath.

"Three minutes!" Mary called out, snuggling up against Chandler as they sat on the floor watching the New Year's Eve festivities on the television. 

Aaron and Samantha were cuddled up in a chair, talking quietly to each other, choosing to ignore the rest of the room in favor of having some time together. Marta and Thayne were sprawled on the floor, laughing about something. Lizzy took a look around the room, feeling grateful to be ringing in the new year with her awesome friends. Deep in thought, Lizzy couldn't help but smile. 

"Lizzy, what are you smiling about?" Hunter inquired as he swept into the room, sitting next to Lizzy on the couch. Lizzy reflexively reached up to play with his unbuttoned collar.

"Just thinking about our life and how happy I am right now," she beamed, looking up at the twinkle in Hunter's eye.

"One minute left!" Marta and Mary called out together, laughing at the fact they had spoken at the same time.

Hunter reached over and carefully set a hand on Lizzy's leg, smiling at her, squeezing lightly. Lizzy nuzzled into Hunter's shoulder, her nose tickling his neck, ignoring the bright light and the quiet murmur coming from the TV.

Hunter brushed Lizzy’s arms, trying to keep her warm, "Comfy?"

"Hmm" was her only reply, burying her face even deeper.

Everyone started to cheer in the living room as the countdown started to signal the final seconds of the year. 

"You know, I've never kissed anyone on New Year's Eve." Lizzy confessed and looked at Hunter's sparkling eyes.

“Well you don’t have to wait much longer”

The minute quickly ticked away and soon the countdown began. Everyone joined in as the camera zoomed in on the large, glittery ball beginning its descent down the long pole.

"10...9...8...7..."

"6...5...4..."

"3...2..."

"Happy New Year!" Everyone exclaimed, popping champagne, blowing party horns and exclaiming in joy. Party poppers were popped and noisemakers filled the apartment with noise.

"Kiss me already."

She held her breath, her eyes shutting for a second.  Lizzy melted at the feel of Hunter’s lips on hers.  "God", she thought, "Hunter is such a great kisser". She felt her eyes water.

Hunter distanced his face from hers, "Hey" he brushed her tear with his thumb, concern etched all over his face, "Did I do something wrong?" 

"No" she shook her head, bringing her hand to wipe her eyes, "It's just I love you so much it hurts sometimes".

"Hey," he gently hushed her,  "I love you too" he whispered.  He rested his forehead on hers and smiled.

On the now mute TV, there were couples kissing, friends hugging, people screaming and drinking champagne, but Lizzy and Hunter were in their own little world, wrapped around each other and not caring for a single soul outside of their living room.

"Best midnight kiss ever," Lizzy giggled.

Suddenly, Chandler began singing, softly at first, and louder as everyone else joined in. 

_ Should auld acquaintance be forgot, _

_ And never brought to mind, _

_ Should auld acquaintance be forgot, _

_ And auld lang syne? _

_ For auld lang syne, my dear, _

_ For auld lang syne, _

_ We'll take a cup of kindness yet, _

_ For auld lang syne! _


End file.
